


By Any Other Name

by cavaleira



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Crack, Fluff, Hannibal is a Cannibal, Humor, M/M, Sassy Will Graham
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-14 23:10:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9209510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cavaleira/pseuds/cavaleira
Summary: Hannibal just wanted a simple cup of coffee. Too bad he has to deal with a mouthy barista who refuses to spell his name correctly.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this post, a bunch of lovely Fannibals were talking about this Coffeshop AU and I couldn't resist writing it:
> 
> http://damnslippyplanet.tumblr.com/post/155404796771/avegetariancannibal-cannibalcuisine

The Starbucks wasn’t crowded when Hannibal walked in. He liked coming at this particular time, after the early morning rush of cranky office workers and before the afternoon rush when the Yoga/Pilates studio around the corner finished the bulk of their classes.

Starbucks as a whole was rather pedestrian, but the dark roast was passable and the location of this particular store was very close to Hannibal’s office. He usually found himself dropping by once or twice a week and it was very convenient for days like today. Hannibal’s “extracurricular activities” had taken a bit longer than expected the previous evening and while he didn’t need as much sleep as other people, he was not invincible. If he was to make it through an appointment with Franklyn Froideveaux that afternoon without stabbing the man in the eye, he absolutely needed a cup of coffee.

The usual barista, a very polite woman named Jane, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a young man at the register named Will, according to his nametag. Even in uniform he was striking, classically beautiful features and a head full of curly, dark hair. He was polite enough as he took Hannibal’s order, but there was something almost demure about him and he didn’t seem keen to make eye contact. Hannibal observed him, committing his features to memory for a potential drawing session when he was in between patients. Perhaps Jane moving on wasn’t such a bad thing.

“Tall, dark roast,” Will called out after a few minutes. Hannibal stepped up to the counter to grab his coffee and noticed that the cup read "Hanabul”.

Hannibal cleared his throat. “It's actually Hannibal. H-A-N-N-I-B-A-L.”

“Sorry,” Will said, but he didn’t sound the least bit apologetic. “Oh and thanks for the spelling lesson, I really appreciate it.” Will’s tone was utterly devoid of gratitude.

Hannibal bristled. “As well you should.”

When Hannibal returned a couple days later, Will was working and took great delight in writing “Hannybull” on Hannibal’s cup and announcing the name for the whole cafe to hear. It was clear now that Will was far from demure. He was abominably rude and if he wasn’t careful he would end up paying dearly for it. With any luck, Will would be fired soon and then they would never have to see each other again.

 ***

Will was at the register yet again the following week and Hannibal groaned internally at the sight of him. Hannibal considered going elsewhere, but the Starbucks was so convenient. Why should he have to go out of his way just because of one rude barista?

“Tall, dark roast?”

"So you remember my order, but not my name."

Will shrugged. "Maybe I just don't find you that interesting."

“In that case, I think I'll have something a bit more interesting today.” Hannibal stared up at the menu board thoughtfully. “I’ll have a tall nonfat latte, extra hot, no foam.”

"A latte with no foam."

"I believe that's what I said."

Will sighed, clearly annoyed with the request. "Sure, coming right up."

Hannibal walked across the cafe and stared out the window, studiously ignoring Will as he prepared the drink.

“I have a tall nonfat latte, extra hot, no foam for Honeybunny.”

Hannibal silently fumed as he made his way over to pick up his drink. Will stood there with an insufferable smirk on his face as he watched Hannibal’s approach.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.” Hannibal’s icy tone only seemed to amuse Will further.

Hannibal stared at the name written on his cup with thinly veiled disgust. There were even bunny ears drawn over the two Ns. There was not a single speck of foam, which made the situation even worse; he could find no fault with his drink to criticize Will about.

Hannibal’s gaze flickered up and he and Will truly locked eyes for the first time. For once, they were of a shared mind.

_This means war._

 ***

The next few weeks were a study in escalation:

"A tall decaf soy latte with 2 shots of sugar-free peppermint and micro-foam for Annabelle.”

"A grande iced vanilla latte with two shots of sugar-free caramel, a half shot of cinnamon and light ice for Handball."

“Mandible, I have your venti half-caff skinny hazelnut macchiato extra foam with a 1 3/4 shot of mocha here."

“I’ve got a grande chai tea latte with skim milk and a shot of vanilla, shot of toffee nut, 190 degrees, 5 percent foam for Gargamel."

That particular name had nearly earned Will a place in Hannibal's rolodex. But as time went on, Hannibal found that he no longer fantasized about slowly murdering Will and making a meal out of him. He found that he genuinely enjoyed their little game and the way they constantly challenged one another. He liked sitting at his computer in the evenings, pouring over the Starbucks menu and trying to come up with ever more unsavory orders.

He was terribly fond of Will's rapt look of concentration as he made each ridiculous drink and no longer resented the fact that Will always rose to the occasion. And most of all, he liked the way Will’s eyes lit up when he handed Hannibal his drink, calling him whatever atrocious name he'd come up with now.

"Good morning," Hannibal said on a sunny Thursday. "I'll have a double blended grande white chocolate mocha frappuccino, with light whipped cream, just a slight drizzle of caramel and a shot and a half of raspberry flavoring."

"Great, one crappuccino coming right up." One of the other baristas snickered and it took a fair amount of control for Hannibal to hide his own mirth as he handed Will his credit card.

“Good luck,” Hannibal said as he took his card and receipt from Will.

“Don't need it, but thanks.”

Hannibal made his way over to the pickup area until he was in what had become his usual spot, the perfect vantage point to watch Will work. Even in his ugly Starbucks uniform, he was a sight to behold. Hannibal greatly valued competence no matter how small the task, and for all of Will’s impertinence, he was actually quite good at his job. Will caught Hannibal’s eye after he’d blended the drink once and then made of big show of blending it again. He moved methodically through the next steps and carefully added the slightest drizzle of caramel to the top.

“Alright, one crappuccino for Hanners," Will called out.

Hannibal rolled his eyes and looked heavenward before approaching the counter.

”Hanners."

Will shrugged and gestured to the barista who was now handling the register. “Bev calls you Mr. Manners. It made sense.”

Their fingers brushed as Hannibal reached for his drink and when he looked up, Will’s cheeks were flushed a delightful shade of pink. There was an undeniable spark between them and Hannibal wanted more.

“Wait just a moment, before I leave with this… monstrosity,” Hannibal said.

Will snorted. “Yeah, monstrosity is a good word to describe it.”

Hannibal pulled out a business card from his pocket and wrote his personal number on the back.

“Here,” he said as he flipped the card over and handed it to Will. “Spelled out clearly, so you don't forget.”

Their fingers brushed again as Will took the card.

“Thanks,” Will said. Hannibal inclined his head and walked away, a spring in his step as he walked out into the sunshine.

Of course, it was possible that he was reading the situation wrong. Their back and forth could simply be just friendly (yet obnoxious) flirting from a barista to a customer, but Hannibal was very good at reading people. He knew that Will felt something too, but whether or not he would act on that feeling remained to be seen.

 ***

By the end of the weekend, Hannibal had thought that perhaps Will was a lost cause. But on Sunday evening, he received a text from an unknown number.

_Hey Hannibear, it's Will_

Hannibal snorted.

_I see you had no problem reading the back of the card, but are still struggling with the front._

_Sorry, you know i’m not good at spelling_

Hannibal paused for a moment, imagining the smirk that was surely on Will’s face. He considered how he wanted to proceed.

_I’d like to see you sometime, out of uniform._

It was rather suggestive, but then again they were always needling and challenging each other.

_you're very forward_

_I find that with you, it’s important to spell things out._

_oh god that’s horrible. you know what, i think I'm going to use that on your cup next time, just you wait. one nonfat soy syrup drenched monstrosity for Horrible coming right up_

The next text came quickly.

_i do mind your terrible jokes, but i don't mind you being forward. i'd like to see you too_

Hannibal smiled, pleased with the turn of events.

_I would suggest we grab a cup of coffee but, you know_

_Agreed. If you're amenable, I'd love to have you for dinner at my home._

A few weeks ago, Hannibal would have meant that in the literal sense. Now he was just looking forward to spending time with someone who intrigued him.

There was a long pause before Will finally responded.

_okay yeah. i'm trusting you to not be a crazy murderer so don't fuck it up. and no psychoanalyzing me, Dr. Lecter_

Hannibal wasn’t crazy and he was perfectly capable of refraining from psychoanalysis for an evening. He supposed two out of three wasn’t bad.

_also, please don't cook something disgusting just to get back at me. it's not my fault that you chose to order all those awful things_

_Fair enough. How about Saturday evening?_

_that sounds good, just send me your address_

Hannibal did as Will asked, a smile on his lips as he mentally started developing the perfect menu.

_thanks. see you around Hanimal_

 ***

Hannibal debated about whether or not to come into Starbucks that week, as he didn’t want Will to feel smothered. In the end, the lure of caffeine and even a few minutes of Will’s company was too enticing to ignore.

“Hey,” Will said when Hannibal stepped up to the counter. They smiled at each other and Hannibal was edified to see Will’s obvious pleasure at his arrival.

“Hello, Will. I’ll have one nonfat soy syrup-drenched monstrosity.”

Will let out a bark of laughter, and as always, seemed slightly disarmed by the strength of his own reaction. Hannibal got the impression that Will was not the kind of person who smiled or laughed often. It warmed him to know he was able to give Will these little moments of honest pleasure. “I’m not entirely sure what that means.”

“I leave that up to you. I’m granting you creative license.”

“Well, I hope you don’t live to regret it.”

Hannibal paid and made his way to his usual spot to watch Will. After awhile he had to look away, as he could no longer bear to see all the disgusting, processed flavors Will was adding to his drink.

“Alright, I’ve got one nonfat soy syrup-drenched monstrosity for Horrible.”

“I suppose I should say thank you,” Hannibal said as he took his cup. “I will see you on Saturday, Will, provided that I’m still alive.”

Hannibal took a sip and Will snickered at his expression of disgust.

 ***

“Wow,” Will said as he stepped into Hannibal’s house and looked around the foyer. “I feel really underdressed.”

Hannibal looked him up and down. He wore a dark blue button-up shirt that brought out the color of his eyes and black slacks. It was simple, but flattering and Hannibal was thoroughly enjoying the sight of him in something other than his Starbucks uniform. “You have nothing to worry about, Will,” he said, which made Will's cheeks flush.

“Come with me, we’ll be eating in the kitchen. I often prefer it when sharing a meal with friends. Plus, it’s only fair for you to see me work in my own kitchen after I’ve seen you preparing beverages for me so many times.”

In the kitchen, Hannibal pulled up a stool for Will. Will sat down and looked around with wide eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kitchen this fancy in someone’s house.”

“Cooking is one of my great passions,” Hannibal said. “This kitchen is one of the primary reasons I purchased this house.” That and the basement, but Will didn’t need to know about that.

Will seemed a little uncomfortable surrounded by such luxury, but he seemed to relax as he watched Hannibal work and they settled into a conversation to get to know each other better. Hannibal learned that Will used to be in law enforcement, and the Starbucks job was helping to pay his bills while he worked on his forensic science degree. The more they spoke, the more Hannibal’s fascination grew. Will’s intelligence was obvious, but there was also a darkness in him that Hannibal recognized and felt the urge to explore and bring to the surface. Hannibal didn’t know if he and Will would take each other to new heights or be each others’ downfall, but he was willing to continue taking the risk to find out.

But he was getting ahead of himself. For now, they were just enjoying a meal.

Hannibal pulled up a stool of his own and served the first course. “To start, we have a spinach salad with cranberries, red onion, pear foam, and caramelized hazelnuts.”

Will smiled and shook his head. “Foam and caramelized hazelnuts.”

“Well, I couldn’t very well serve you a latte for dinner. I had to think outside the box. But tell me, Will: would you consider this foam or micro-foam? I must defer to your expertise.”

Will took a bite, eyes lighting up in obvious pleasure at the flavor. “This is so good. Definitely better than anything I've ever made for you.” He chewed thoughtfully. “I’d say you’ve achieved micro-foam status with this. You should be proud.”

“I learned from the best.”

After they finished their salads, Hannibal put the final touches on the main course and presented it to Will.

“Java crusted New York steak with stout glaze.”

“Dark roast?”

“Naturally.”

Will shot Hannibal a fond look. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Will seemed to enjoy the steak even more than the salad and their conversation reached a lull as he focused on the meal. Hannibal didn’t mind at all, it was a high compliment indeed.

“Okay, here’s what I don’t understand: if you can cook like this, I bet you make amazing coffee.”

Hannibal nodded. He had never seen the point of engaging in false modesty.

“So why do you bother with Starbucks?”

“It started off as a mere convenience, as I don't always have time to make coffee myself in the mornings. But then I got involved in a battle of wits with a charmingly obnoxious barista and found that my visits had become one of the most enjoyable parts of my day.”

“Me too. You know, a lot of customers don't have a sense of humor about themselves or think baristas are stupid. I thought you might be like that at first, but there's a lot more to you beneath the surface. I want... I want to see you more clearly.” Will cut another piece of steak and looked away. “Is that a weird thing to say? I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I believe I understand just what you mean. It’s serendipitous that you spelled my name wrong that first day, perhaps we might not have met otherwise.” They shared a warm glance as they finished eating.

“Now, shall we have dessert?” Will nodded and Hannibal turned to the fridge and began pulling out the items he would need to assemble the final part of their meal.

Hannibal gestured to the miniature cake on the plate, just big enough for two. “Mocha cake. White chocolate whipped cream and spun sugar,” he said as he carefully arranged them on top of the cake. “And finally, a raspberry coulis.”

Will laughed, his whole face lighting up as he stared at the cake in disbelief. He was beautiful and Hannibal only had eyes for him.

"You made crappuccino cake."

Hannibal smiled back at him. "I made crappuccino cake. Bon appétit.”

Will’s eyes fluttered closed as he took his first bite. “You’ve really outdone yourself. It shouldn’t be possible for this to be so good. That drink was an abomination.”

“Yes, it was. But I try to create beauty even out of the most dreadful things.”

“Well, you do it well.”

 _Even better than you know_ , Hannibal thought.

 ***

After the meal was finished and Will helped him wash the dishes, they stood next to each other by the island. A sense of awkwardness that had not been present since Will arrived settled over the room.

“So, um. Now what?”

“If you have to go, I understand. But you're more than welcome to spend the night. I hope you’ve been enjoying yourself as much as I have.”

Will hesitated, caught up in some internal struggle that Hannibal wasn’t privy to. “I’d like to stay. It's just, I usually don't do this.”

“‘This’ meaning spend the night after the first date or sleeping with customers?”

“Both. And date at all really. I’m not the easiest person to get along with.”

“I can also be very… particular.”

Will snorted. “Yeah, I kind of figured that out.”

They looked at each other and Hannibal cupped Will’s cheek in his hand before leaning in and kissing him. The slow and tentative press of lips quickly grew into something more intense. Will’s lips were soft and he still tasted like the dessert they’d shared earlier. It was good enough to obliterate the taste of that horrible crappuccino from Hannibal’s memory.

“Upstairs?” Hannibal asked. Will nodded and Hannibal led the way.

*** 

“Well, you finally got me out of my uniform,” Will said as he lay on Hannibal’s sheets, stripped bare. He was beautiful, his pale skin flushed red and contrasting perfectly with the dark comforter.

“Indeed I did.”

"Don't look so smug," Will teased. Hannibal only smiled and climbed onto the bed, lying down on top of Will and covering him with his body.

“God, you feel so good,” Will murmured as he pushed his hips up in a slow grind and wrapped his arms around Hannibal. Hannibal leaned down for a kiss and Will welcomed him eagerly.

“What do you want to do?” Will asked.

“We can do whatever you’d like, Will.”

Will paused. “I want you inside me. It’s been awhile though, so take it slow.”

“Of course,” Hannibal said. He definitely wasn’t going to complain about having the opportunity to slowly open Will up and make him writhe with pleasure.

Hannibal grabbed the lube from his bedside drawer and then rested one of Will's legs on his shoulder before slowly pressing inside him with one slick finger. He took his time opening Will up with his fingers and then leaned down and pressed his tongue up against the slick opening. Will cried out in shocked pleasure and he clenched the sheets as Hannibal continued working him over.

"Enough," Will said in a shaky voice. "I want you now."

Hannibal rolled on a condom and they both groaned as he started to push inside Will. Will was so ready for him, his body opening up easily and letting Hannibal in. Will wrapped his legs around Hannibal’s waist and urged him on, digging his heels into the small of Hannibal’s back.

"Say my name,” Hannibal said as he fucked Will harder, reveling in the exquisite heat of him. Will’s eyes sparkled with mischief and Hannibal wondered what terrible name he might come up with now. But before Will could speak, Hannibal changed the angle slightly and thrust in hard, right up against Will’s prostate.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Will cried out. “Oh my God.”

“I’m flattered, but try again.”

Will rolled his eyes, but they soon fluttered closed with pleasure as Hannibal picked up speed.

"Say it."

“Oh Hannibal," Will choked out. Hannibal sighed and let the word wash over him.

"Hannibal, oh _fuck_ just like that."

Will's hips rocked up to meet each one of Hannibal's thrusts, taking him in like he couldn’t get enough. Hannibal reached down and stroked Will's cock mercilessly in time with his thrusts. Will's whole body trembled as he climaxed, moaning Hannibal's name over and over. The sweet clench of Will's body left Hannibal's control in tatters as he followed Will over the edge, the sound of his own name in Will's wrecked voice still ringing in his ears.

 ***

“I believe that was the first time you've actually called me by my name,” Hannibal said in the aftermath, when they were clean and curled up together in bed.

“Was it worth the wait?”

“Without a doubt.”

“I’m glad.”

“Go to sleep,” Hannibal said as he pressed a kiss to Will’s brow. “I’ll make you coffee in the morning.”

“Please don’t,” Will groaned.

Hannibal stroked his chin thoughtfully. “How about freshly squeezed orange juice?”

“That sounds perfect.”


End file.
